


Six Times Gabriel Lost Dean (And One Time Dean Held On)

by Chef_Geekier



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Canon Related, Gabriel Being Gabriel, M/M, Memory Alteration, Non-Linear Narrative
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-03
Updated: 2017-03-03
Packaged: 2018-09-28 01:57:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10064489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chef_Geekier/pseuds/Chef_Geekier
Summary: An extract from 'Tricksters and Their Ways' by Robert Singer:While many cases of adults being targets of Tricksters have been documented, it is rare for a child to attract the dangerous attention of these fickle creatures. It is, however, not unheard of for a child to befriend a Trickster by accident, and end up with a life-long protector because of this.Tricksters tend to be solitary creatures, but if they form a bond to a human, they will protect that human with little regard to their own safety. It is not unheard of for a Trickster to destroy other so-called monsters to protect someone they regard as theirs. The wrath of a Trickster is a terrible thing – they will not stop until the one who brought down their ire has been dealt with. Never forget that although they appear human, a Trickster is a demi-god, and they are masters at escaping their own deaths. There have been several cases where a hunter has thought a Trickster slain, only to be faced by the same creature months or even years later.(Dean attracted the attention of The Trickster a lot earlier than he remembers...)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2011 Dean/Gabriel Bang over on LJ. Chapter dividers are the song I chose for that particular plotline. Also, art post here: [Lynndyre's LJ](http://lynndyre.livejournal.com/73362.html)
> 
> I'm working on transferring all of my stories over to AO3, here's the next one. Hope you all enjoy.
> 
> Warning(s): Attempted molestation of a 16-year-old, screwing with memories, some language, explicit sex, non-linear storytelling, Gabriel being a tricksy sod, Dean being thick.

_Tricksters target the high and mighty, the proud, the arrogant. They aim to knock their target down a peg or two, mostly with a sense of humour, though they don’t seem to mind if their target dies in the process. As long as it provides amusement for the Trickster, anything goes – although they tend to keep collateral damage to a minimum if at all possible. With their ability to create almost anything out of nothing, any trick or prank is available to the creative demi-gods._  
  
**-Sixteen - Deception-**  
  
Dean glared up at the ceiling above him, intent on showing his displeasure with his current situation. His dad was off on a hunt, and Dean had managed to get sick enough to be admitted to the hospital four days ago. Thankfully the woman watching out for him and Sammy at the moment had lied and claimed them as her nephews, so at least CPS wasn’t getting involved. John was going to be mad enough as it was.  
  
Shifting a little, Dean’s gaze fell on Sammy, curled up asleep in a chair next to the bed. He’d tried to tell the kid to share the bed with him – it wasn’t like they hadn’t done so before – but the problem was in Dean’s stomach, and now the softest touch felt like a gunshot. So Sam had made up his mind, staying near enough to ease Dean’s big-brother-instincts while not causing him pain.  
  
Unbeknownst to Sam, however, Dean wanted his little brother as far away from the hospital as possible. There was something wrong here, something that put Dean’s teeth on edge. He wasn’t sure if it was something supernatural, or if his medication was making him paranoid, but he both wanted Sam out of there and wanted to keep an eye on him.  
  
The shadows around his bed seemed to be getting darker, and Dean bit down on his lip to keep from making any sound. He could feel someone there, someone standing on the other side of the curtain, and he just wanted them to go away.  
  
Then he heard the blessed sound of whistling, and he felt the presence leave. The curtain was gently moved aside soon after, and a grinning face peeked in at him.  
  
“Hey Deano,” the nurse pretended to scold him. “You’re meant to be asleep.”  
  
“Hey Ricky,” Dean grinned back. “Come to get your ass kicked at poker again?”  
  
“You wish.” Ricky slipped inside and sat on the edge of the bed. He wasn’t that much taller than Dean was, and looked somewhere in his mid-thirties, with light brown hair and a cheerful face. He also always had sugar of some sort, frequently sharing with either Sam or Dean, and he was willing to play poker when Dean couldn’t get to sleep in the strange hospital. “Any news yet?”  
  
“Doc said they’ll take me in tomorrow,” Dean answered quietly, shooting a look over at Sam. He hadn’t actually told his brother yet – hopefully the kid would be at school when they came, and it’d be over by the time he got back. “So I haven’t been able to eat tonight.”  
  
“That sucks,” Ricky commiserated with him. “How ‘bout I stop by tomorrow then, make sure there’s a stack of sugar waiting for your return?”  
  
“You’re awesome,” Dean informed his visitor.  
  
“I know I am,” Ricky nodded, before jumping off the bed again. “Well, for now I’ll up your meds, help you get some sleep. And I’ll arrange for the sweets when you get back.” He fiddled with Dean’s drip, and within minutes Dean was drifting off to sleep, content that someone was watching out for him.  
   
**-Twenty Four - Dead Ringer For Love-**  
  
Dean sat at the bar, steadily drinking his way to unconsciousness. He’d just finished one of his first solo hunts, with Sammy off being a big boy at college and Dad following his own lead, and it hadn’t gone well. Sure he’d gotten rid of the ghost, but it had killed another teen before he’d managed it.  
  
So now Dean was trying to become numb.  
  
“Hard day?” A voice broke into his melancholy, and Dean lifted his head. Standing next to his stool was a man with light hair and dark eyes, shorter than Dean but seeming older. Dean had the feeling that he’d seen the guy before, probably when he was bumming around town hunting for leads.  
  
“You could say that,” Dean shrugged. Maybe shooting the breeze would distract him for a bit.  
  
“I know of a way to make your day better,” the guy grinned. Dean raised an eyebrow, and the stranger held out a brightly-coloured straw.  
  
“What is it?” He gingerly took it, and found that it was sealed in plastic.  
  
“Sherbet straw,” the stranger hopped up onto the seat next to Dean and pulled out another straw before signalling the bartender.  “Two Rocketfuels, please.”  
  
“Rocketfuel. Not sure I wanna know,” Dean gave the man a sceptical look, which was immediately grinned away by the stranger.  
  
“Take every clear liquor and pour a shot into a glass,” he explained. “My addition is to then drink it through the sherbet straw. Gets you shit-faced in no time flat.”  
  
“You know what?” Dean decided. “That sounds perfect.”  
  
“I know,” the guy held out his hand again. “By the way, I’m Steve.”  
  
“Dean.”  
   
**-Twenty Seven - Hunting High and Low-**  
  
“The King’s Lair Hotel,” Sam commented as they looked around the room they’d been given. “More like a dragon’s lair. Dean, this place…”  
  
“Ah, shut it, Sammy,” Dean ignored his brother with practiced ease. “It’s cheap, it has a kitchen-thing, and it’s near the scene of the weirdo crime. We’re staying.”  
  
The tension between the brothers had been climbing lately, both figuring it was just too much time spent in close quarters. Dean had the vague idea that there was something else as well, something niggling at the back of his skull, but he pushed it away firmly. Denial wasn’t just a river in Egypt, it was the Winchester family’s favourite past-time.  
  
He couldn’t deny that something about this town was setting him off though, something just wasn’t right. And when they met the janitor over at Crawford Hall, trying to investigate the professor’s office… Dean’s instincts were going haywire.  
  
“So how long you been working here?” Sam asked, completely oblivious to Dean’s mind trying to figure out where he’d seen the guy before.  
  
“I’ve been mopping these floors for six years,” the guy responded easily. “Worked over at the hospital for a while before that. Lemme tell you something, nursing? Almost entirely to do with cleaning up bodily fluids and dealing with bitchy families. So not worth the fees to become one.”  
  
Again, something was itching at Dean’s brain, and he couldn’t figure it out. He was sure that he’d never been in this town before, he’d have remembered it. So why was the guy so familiar?  
  
“There you go boys,” the janitor opened up the office and stepped out of the way. Sam pulled out his EMF-meter, and the short man spared it a brief glance. “What the heck’s that for?”  
   
**-Twenty Eight - Learn to Fly-**  
  
Dean watched Sam threaten the silver-haired man, and felt pieces clicking into place. Pompous jerks… just desserts… the fact that Sam was carrying around a wooden stake with blood on it was a pretty big clue as well.  
  
“Don’t lie to me!” Sam shouted, clearly nearing the end of his rope. “We’ve killed one of your kind before!”  
  
Then the image of the man faded, and Dean was staring at a face that had haunted his dreams for the past year.  
  
“Actually, bucko,” the Trickster grinned up at Sam, “you didn’t.”  
   
**-Thirty - Holy Water-**  
  
“Sweet tooth, just desserts, screwin’ with people before you kill ‘em… we’re dealing with the Trickster, aren’t we?” Dean couldn’t help the giddy feeling that bubbled up in him at that thought. He tried to put it down to being glad they could finally kill the creature – maybe – and not think about how the creature’s eyes had lit up with laughter the last time he’d seen it.  
  
“Sure looks like it,” Sam shrugged, going to his own pack and searching for something. Dean swiped a wrapper off the table and fiddled with it, trying to get his head back in the game.  
  
“Good. I’ve been wanting to gank that mother since Mystery Spot.” He injected as much venom as he could into the statement, and hoped that Sam wouldn’t call him on it.  
   
**-Thirty - Worry About You-**  
  
“Can’t we all just get along?”  
  
Dean’s head whipped up at the familiar voice, and he stared at Gabriel as he sauntered in. He’d never really used that word to describe someone’s movement before, but the archangel was definitely sauntering. Smug bastard that he was.  
  
“Ga-”  
  
Gabriel made a quick motion with his hand, and Dean felt it as he was unable to speak. Looking across, Sam was suffering the same predicament, and looking just as confused. What was Gabriel doing here?  
  
“Sam… Dean… Always wrong place, worst time with you two mutton-heads, huh?” He didn’t appear outwardly fazed, but something about him made Dean tense.  
  
Something was scaring the tricksy angel, for some reason Gabriel didn’t want any of them to be here. That made Dean pause and try to figure out what was going on. He knew that they were surrounded by pagan deities, which was bad enough… could they hurt Gabriel?  
  
“Loki.”  
  
Dean and Sam shared a shocked glance as Gabriel wandered forward, apparently at ease amongst the deities. And if Baldur was correct… Gabriel was in fact Loki.  
  
This brought a whole new perspective on why Gabriel was so keen to stay hidden from the other angels. While they’d known that he was pretending to be a Trickster, they hadn’t counted on the fact that Gabriel – or Loki – used to have worshippers of his own. He’d actively encouraged humans to violate one of the Commandments.  
  
Even as he was considering this, Dean realised that Gabriel was being serious as he spoke to the other occupants of the room. Then he turned back and grinned at the Winchesters.  
  
“The adults need to have a conversation. Check ya later!”  
  
And with a snap of his fingers, Dean found himself back in the bedroom he and Sam had been in earlier.


	2. Chapter 2

_While many cases of adults being targets of Tricksters have been documented, it is rare for a child to attract the dangerous attention of these fickle creatures. It is, however, not unheard of for a child to befriend a Trickster by accident, and end up with a life-long protector because of this._  
  
 **-Sixteen - Deception-**  
  
Much to Dean’s surprise, it was Ricky who came to take him away to surgery the next day.  
  
“Pulled a double-shift,” the nurse grinned – he was always grinning, it was slightly unnerving – as he fussed around the bed, ensuring one of the sides was up, Dean was tucked in properly, and there were no cords still attached to the wall. “Let’s get you on your way!”  
  
He was behind Dean’s head then, pushing the bed further away from the wall, one of the other nurses helping to get it out into the hallway. From there Ricky was pushing it by himself, and getting up quite a speed.  
  
“Tally-ho!” Ricky shouted as he pushed hard, before jumping up to sit on the side of the bed as it rolled down the corridor. Dean wasn’t sure if he should be laughing or screaming in terror at this point.  
  
He caught Ricky’s eye, and dissolved into laughter, even if it did make his stomach hurt. Somehow, Ricky had known that Dean was scared about this, and missing his dad – so the nurse had apparently taken the double shift in order to make Dean feel better.  
  
Dean knew the fluttery feeling in his stomach then wasn’t just from the illness.  
   
 **-Twenty Four - Dead Ringer For Love-**  
  
Dean’s back crashed against the wall, and he clutched Steve tighter. He wasn’t sure how they’d ended up here, but he was drunk enough that his inhibitions had all faded. It was the simplest thing in the world to grab Steve around the waist and turn them both, pressing the shorter man against the wall and leaning in to kiss him again.  
  
Hands were in his hair, massaging his scalp, and the lips pressed to his were opening gladly. Dean let out a happy groan and grabbed Steve’s arse with one hand, fumbling to try and open the motel door with his other.  
  
A few seconds later, the two tumbled into the room and landed on the floor, Dean somehow on his back with Steve straddling his waist. They were both laughing and trying to keep kissing as they rolled over a few times, each struggling to stay on top. Steve was stronger than he looked, but Dean was determined that he wasn’t going to bend over for some stranger – hell, it was weird enough that he was actually going to shag a guy.  
  
After a couple of turns, Dean remained on top with Steve’s legs wrapped around his waist. They continued to press against each other, before Dean managed to get his hand under Steve’s shirt to start stroking the muscles he found.  
  
The man under him arched up, helping to remove his shirt and reveal pale skin that Dean couldn’t help bending down to lick. The gasp it drew from Steve spurred Dean on, and he made quick work of divesting them both of their remaining clothes.  
  
“Hurry it up,” Steve grinned up at him, leaning up on his elbows. “You gonna fuck me tonight or what?”  
  
“I’m getting there,” Dean growled. For some reason, the lack of breasts wasn’t as big a deal as he’d thought it would be. He was steadfastly not looking at the guy’s erection, since he was pretty sure that would kill his own. He just wasn’t ready to admit that he was about to have sex with a man.  
  
Steve’s expression seemed to tighten for a moment, before he surged forward and caught Dean in another scorching kiss.  
Dean grunted a little in surprise, but kissed back with enthusiasm. He could definitely get behind this part. Knowing a little about anal sex from a few adventurous girls, he started to gently rub against Steve’s anus – only to find that his finger slid in relatively easily.  
  
“What–” He pulled back briefly, confused, to see Steve’s cocky grin.  
  
“Did it myself earlier. C’mon, just get in me.”  
  
That sounded like a marvellous idea, and Dean grabbed a condom out of the pack lying a few feet away. Steve rolled his eyes, but then turned onto his hands and knees, wriggling a little. Dean smirked a little – he was pretty sure he knew where to stick his cock, thank you very much – and tore the wrapper open with his teeth.  
  
After all, he didn’t want to catch something off the random guy he found in a pub.  
   
 **-Twenty Seven - Hunting High and Low-**  
  
 “Find anything useful?” Dean muttered, glaring a little as Sam returned from a trip to the library. The glare was returned, before Sam decided to share what he’d turned up.  
  
“Only thing anything like this that I could find was from about ten years ago. A doctor working at the hospital, turns out he was a little too interested in young boys. Tried to solicit sex from someone who turned out to be an adult midget. The midget killed him, mutilated the corpse a little. It was all caught on a security camera, but no one’s ever seen the midget before or since. No record of him ever existing.”  
  
“Huh,” Dean blinked. “Killed by a midget for trying to… y’know, this whole case is nuts, but that just takes the cake.”  
  
“Tell me about it,” Sam nodded, apparently mollified by Dean’s reaction.  
   
 **-Twenty Eight - Learn to Fly-**  
  
“Why are you doing this?” Sam seemed determined to interrogate it, while the Trickster seemed mildly bored. Dean filed that information away – it seemed like it wasn’t actually all that fussed by the stake Sam was threatening it with.  
  
As he watched the two interact, Dean felt it again – something pushing at his mind, as though testing him, searching for a sign. He blinked when the Trickster admitted to finding it fun, killing him multiple times, then shrugged and moved on.  
  
Something like approval seemed to wash over him then, before the presence was gone, leaving him even more confused than he had been to start with.  
   
 **-Thirty - Holy Water-**  
  
Dean had been feeling jumpy ever since walking onto the hospital set, and it was driving him nuts. He’d always hated hospitals, ever since he could remember, and now it seemed that the Trickster had trapped them in one.  
  
So when he realised that Dr Sexy was, in fact, the Trickster, he wasted no time in pinning the guy to a wall.  
  
For some reason though, his body didn’t seem to want to interpret this as a fight, and before Dean knew it he was snapping at Sam to cover for the fact that his blood seemed to be heading south.  
  
Then he realised that everyone around them was frozen, and looked back to the pinned doctor in time to see him morph into the Trickster, huge smile on its face.  
  
“You guys are getting better!” It sounded genuinely pleased.  
  
“Get us the hell out of here,” Dean spoke in a low tone, feeling as though he was channelling Castiel for a moment. There was a brief flash of emotion in the Trickster’s eyes, before it was gone again.  
  
“Or what?” The Trickster looked from side to side, then grabbed Dean’s arm in a vice-like grip. Dean thought that he might have broken something for a moment. “Don’t see your wooden stakes, big guy.”  
  
“That was you on the police scanner,” Sam commented, somewhat uselessly. “This is a trick.”  
  
“Hellloooooo, Tricksterrrr” the Trickster drew the words out, and Dean couldn’t help but watch the way its tongue moved. He tried to drag his mind back into hunting mode, but somehow couldn’t quite manage it. The Trickster’s face was so animated, so full of life, that Dean was suddenly jealous.  
  
They were bickering again, the three of them, and Dean knew that they weren’t going to get the Trickster on their side. It was too fickle, and enjoyed seeing them in pain.  
  
A theory which was confirmed when Dean got shot in the back.  
   
 **-Thirty - Worry About You-**  
  
“Kali’s got you two on a leash,” Gabriel informed them.  
  
“And what does that mean?” Dean growled. He was so sick of all of this… and wanted some down-time to figure out why he felt so drawn to Gabriel.  
  
“Means it’s time for the old black magic.” With that, Gabriel tossed something to Sam. The younger brother held it up for inspection, then went pale.  
  
“Breath freshener. You want me to go… with Kali?”  
  
“Why not?” Gabriel shrugged. “You’ve shagged a demon, a goddess is a step up. Go to it, she likes tall guys.” He was then forcefully pushing Sam out of the room. “I’ll keep your brother entertained, don’t worry.”  
  
Dean swallowed hard when Gabriel closed the door and turned back to him, grinning. That look had never preceded anything good happening, at least not that he could remember.  
  
“So, now that we’re alone…” Gabriel jumped onto one of the beds, lying down on his side and smirking up at Dean. “How oh how shall I entertain you?”  
  
“You could give us a hint on how to get out of being vessels,” Dean offered. Gabriel looked at him for a moment, then waved his hand as though the suggestion wasn’t worth the effort.  
  
“Boring. Oh, they have _Casa Erotica_? Let’s watch that!”  
  
After that Dean couldn’t get a proper conversation out of the archangel, who was instead intent on giving a detailed critique of the porno.


	3. Chapter 3

_Tricksters tend to be solitary creatures, but if they form a bond to a human, they will protect that human with little regard to their own safety. It is not unheard of for a Trickster to destroy other so-called monsters to protect someone they regard as theirs._  
  
 **-Sixteen - Deception-**  
  
Dean felt it come for him again, and a small whimper escaped him. It was the middle of the night, dark even inside the hospital, and Sammy was curled up asleep again, angry at Dean having had surgery without telling him about it. The presence slipped behind the curtain and into the space beside his bed, a hand coming to rest on Dean’s leg. Slowly, the hand trailed up further, and even though he was in pain, Dean tried to get away.  
  
“Hush, child,” the voice was barely audible. “You can’t fight me, you know it. And if you wake your brother, I’ll just have to let him join in the game.”  
  
The hand was cupping his genitals then, rubbing softly, and Dean felt tears gather. He didn’t want this, but he had to protect Sammy. The blankets were being pulled down then, and though he couldn’t see properly, he could feel someone straddle his hips.  
  
A mouth was pressed against his then, and Dean felt the urge to vomit. Something wet probing at his lips, trying to force them open, but Dean wasn’t cooperating, even as he felt himself start to panic.  
  
Then the whistling started, and Dean nearly wept in relief.  
  
The presence – the man – was gone then, quickly climbing off him and retreating. By the time Ricky stuck his head through the curtain, all that was left was a dampness around Dean’s mouth that he wanted to wipe away, if only he had full control of his arms.  
  
“Hey Deano, you awake…” Ricky trailed off, and Dean looked up at him, a small whimper escaping. He wanted to speak so badly, but his throat was still sore from the tube going down it, and he was still trying to figure out if the thing had been a human or a monster.  
  
Then Ricky was standing next to him, gently wiping his mouth with a cloth, with a look in his eyes that Dean had never seen there before. He’d seen it on his Dad though – whenever he or Sammy had gotten injured, Dad had looked like that. Like someone was going to pay for hurting the ones he cared about.  
  
“It’s gonna be okay, Kiddo,” Ricky whispered, stroking Dean’s hair softly. “I’m gonna make sure of it. It’s all gonna be okay.”  
   
 **-Twenty Four - Dead Ringer For Love-**  
  
Crawling off of Steve, Dean leaned against the bed and looked down at the smaller man. Even with the booze running through his system, he was starting to notice that something wasn’t right – he hadn’t exactly been gentle with the guy, but there were no scrapes, bruises or bite marks. Steve’s skin was as smooth and unmarked as a baby’s.  
  
Things started to fall into place, and Dean’s eyes widened. Steve wasn’t human. He’d just shoved his dick into a monster.  
  
At that, Steve sat up, and Dean had the horrifying realisation that whatever he was, Steve could quite possibly read minds. He reached under the bed and grabbed the knife from where he’d stashed it earlier, but before he could attack he found Steve straddling his hips, holding his arm out and away.  
  
“I guess you’re not ready,” Steve looked sad, and Dean felt a brief moment of guilt for making him look like that. “Forget about it. I’ll catch up with you later down the road.”  
  
With that, Steve pressed forwards again to press their lips gently together, even as Dean felt his mind growing foggy.  
   
 **-Twenty Seven - Hunting High and Low-**  
  
 “Oh damn,” Sam said suddenly, and Dean mentally rolled his eyes. Kid was a lousy actor at times. “I uh, forgot something in the truck.”  
  
The janitor – and suspected Trickster – was looking at Sam with a blank expression. In that second, Dean was pretty damn sure that they’d been spotted, and hoped like hell that Bobby’s suggestion for how to kill it was correct.  
  
“You know what?” Sam continued, oblivious. “Go on, I’ll catch up with you guys.”  
  
The janitor just shrugged and tapped the top of the banister, turning to finish showing Dean around the building. Dean let out a quick huff of relief, thinking that maybe they’d get away with this after all, and followed the shorter man.  
  
The two exchanged small talk as they walked, and Dean found himself relaxing in the presence of the other man, even if his humanity was in question.  
  
So when he found himself sitting behind a desk, the janitor perched up on the desk itself, the two discussing classic horror flicks, Dean didn’t think to question it. Nor did he question it when the janitor shifted closer, head bent so that they were in each other’s personal space.  
  
He briefly considered questioning the course of events when the man slipped forwards off the desk and onto Dean’s lap, but decided returning the sudden kiss was a better course of events.  
  
With a sudden jolt, Dean tore himself away, eyes going wide. That was it, that’s what had been pressing at his mind – a memory of a stolen kiss when he was sixteen, forcibly repressed.  
  
“Ricky…” he whispered, and he recognised the man sitting in his lap, grinning at him.  
  
“I used to be,” Not-Ricky was toying with Dean’s hair, one hand curling around the nape of his neck. “I told you I’d be waiting. Are you ready for me yet?”  
  
“I…” Dean couldn’t think of a proper response, could barely remember why exactly it was that this man made him feel so safe. His training was telling him to attack the… thing sitting in his lap.  
  
“Hmm… unfortunate,” the janitor seemed to sag. “You’re not ready. You’ve grown, but your mind isn’t ready to accept me yet.” He leaned forwards and brushed Dean’s lips gently with his own before pulling back again. “Probably best if you don’t think about this too much.”  
  
Dean could feel the memories starting to slip again, and tried desperately to hold on. But by the time he met Sam out the front of the building again, he was convinced that the only thing he’d done with the janitor, was to be shown around a few empty offices.  
   
 **-Twenty Eight - Learn to Fly-**  
  
Dean slid quickly to wakefulness and glanced at the clock. Wednesday. That would be a relief to Sam – Dean didn’t really remember much, but he could remember how freaked out Sammy had been yesterday.  
  
Of course, running into something they thought they’d killed had unsettled Dean as well, he was just having an easier time hiding it.  
  
Seeing that Sam was still asleep, Dean rose and started going about his normal morning routine. His mind kept flitting back to the image of Sam threatening the Trickster, and somehow he was sure that it was going to come back and bite them in the arse.  
   
 **-Thirty - Holy Water-**  
  
Dean half-expected it when the Trickster grabbed him. He’d been steadily pushing its buttons ever since it zapped Castiel away – that just wasn’t cool – and now he was going to get slammed into a wall.  
  
However, that’s not where he ended up. Much to his surprise, Dean found himself thrown onto a couch in a completely different room, with the Trickster straddling his lap. It was still holding his collar and looking furious though.  
  
“You should learn to do as you’re told,” the Trickster growled at him. The position was prodding something in his memory, but Dean couldn’t spare the brain cells. He was having a hard enough time keeping his blood circulating properly – what was with this, constantly getting aroused when the Trickster was near? Was it some sort of sex-pollen the creature gave off?  
  
“Why do you want us to say yes so bad?” Dean asked, trying to bring his mind back to the original conversation.  
It was difficult, though, when the Trickster suddenly looked heartbroken. All Dean wanted to do was to hold him close, like he would if faced with a beautiful female victim of the supernatural. And if that didn’t just take the cake for weirdness, Dean wasn’t sure what would.  
  
“I just want it to be over,” the Trickster whispered. “Please. Say yes and finish it, stop dragging it out like this. When it’s over, I can finally keep you.” It then leaned forward and gently pressed their mouths together, smoothing its hands over Dean’s shoulders in a caress that felt oddly right.  
  
Dean squeaked in surprise – though he would forever deny it later – and kissed back out of sheer instinct. He felt a wave of satisfaction wash over him, then fell to the ground.  
  
Looking up, Sam was standing there in a suit, wearing sunglasses even though it was night, and the Trickster was nowhere to be seen.  
  
Perfect.  
   
 **-Thirty - Worry About You-**  
  
Dean dove over the table a heartbeat ahead of Sam. Where was that damned archangel when they needed him? Gabriel had refused to come back inside, and now Lucifer was breathing down their necks. Damnit!  
  
“You okay?” Sam asked. Dean was about to answer, when he felt a sudden presence at his side.  
  
“Not really,” Gabriel shrugged as the brothers looked at him, shocked. “Better late than never, huh?” He attempted a grin, though it fell a little flat. Dean looked at Gabriel for a moment, realising that the angel was going to help them after all, and felt affection well up inside him.  
  
“Aw Hell,” Gabriel muttered, and before Dean could blink the archangel had pressed their mouths together in a kiss that felt… right. For a moment, he wanted nothing more than to tell Lucifer to fuck off so he could drag Gabriel somewhere private and explore the new possibilities.  
  
Dean flinched a little when Gabriel thrust something into his hands, effectively ending the kiss, but relaxed when he realised it was just a DVD.  
  
“Guard this with your life.”  
  
And with that, Gabriel leapt over the table to face his older brother, even though they all knew it was not going to end well.


	4. Chapter 4

_The wrath of a Trickster is a terrible thing – they will not stop until the one who brought down their ire has been dealt with. Never forget that although they appear human, a Trickster is a demi-god, and they are masters at escaping their own deaths. There have been several cases where a hunter has thought a Trickster slain, only to be faced by the same creature months or even years later._  
  
 **-Sixteen - Deception-**  
  
 “Did you hear about Dr Vallance?”  
  
“No, what happened?”  
  
“He was killed a last night! Apparently, he tried to hire an under-age prostitute, only to find out that it was a midget! The pro cut off his… y’know, and stuffed it down the doc’s throat!”  
  
“Woah. That’s pretty… he was always such a nice man!”  
  
“Yeah, but when the cops searched his place, they found stacks of child porn. The guy was a complete sleaze, and he’s been working here for years! Who knows what he’s done to the kids here in that time?”  
  
Dean swallowed hard, staring at the ceiling. A doctor. It had been a doctor who tried to… his brain refused to allow him to go any further down that train of thought.  
  
And Ricky knew. He was sure that it wasn’t just a hallucination from the drugs, Ricky had been there, had stopped the doctor from going further. If that was true, then maybe it was Ricky who had decided to put a permanent end to the bastard.  
  
The familiar whistling broke through his thoughts then, and he couldn’t stop the smile as Ricky bounced over to him. The nurse hadn’t been back since that night, and Dean had been a little worried about him.  
  
“So, all set to get out of here?” Ricky asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.  
  
“Yeah,” Dean nodded. “I really wanna go home. So sick of sitting around all day.”  
  
“I’ll bet.” There was companionable silence for a few minutes, as the two looked at each other.  
  
“You…” Dean cleared his throat and tried again. Sam was better at this talking stuff than he was. “The other night. You saved me, didn’t you.”  
  
“Forget about it,” Ricky said, suddenly serious, and Dean blinked. Forget, that seemed a good idea. Bits and pieces were already fading. “When you’re ready, you’ll remember. For now, though… you’re just a little too young.”  
  
Dean tried to hold on to the memories of Ricky slipping onto his bed to play poker, of Ricky sneaking him candy, but it was fading too quickly.  
  
“Aw, damnit,” Ricky muttered, and there was a brief pressure against Dean’s mouth, a gentle slide of lips as Ricky allowed himself one taste. “I’ll be back for you when you’re grown up and ready for me,” he whispered. “Until then, I’ll be watching out for you. Promise.”  
  
When Dean went home that afternoon, he didn’t remember much of his stay in hospital – but apparently the drugs he’d been given often made people woozy, so no one questioned it.  
   
 **-Twenty Four - Dead Ringer For Love-**  
  
When Dean woke up the next morning, it was to a fairly trashed room and a splitting headache. He made it to the bathroom in time to dry-heave into the toilet, then sank down against the cool tiles.  
  
There was no memory of what had happened last night, beyond a vague impression of golden eyes and a talented mouth. Dean decided not to think too hard about it – he’d obviously screwed some chick who had shown herself out. At least she’d had the common sense to leave before the awkwardness of The Morning After.  
  
When he packed up later, he realised that one of his shirts was missing. He thought it might be the one he wore the previous night, but shrugged it off. Not like it was a huge deal.  
  
Chick probably just wanted a souvenir.  
   
-Twenty Seven - Hunting High and Low-  
  
 “Dean, Dean, Dean,” the Trickster shook his head as he stood, still holding that damned candy bar. “I did not want to have to do this.”  
  
Dean caught the stake Sam threw to him and thrust up, before the creature could reach him.  
  
“Me neither,” he muttered, surprised by how much he meant it. The Trickster was a murderous son of a bitch… but he had style, and a wicked sense of humour. Watching as the creations around him faded out of existence, and the light in the Trickster’s eyes dimmed was almost too much for him. It even looked disappointed in him, as though he’d failed some sort of test.  
  
“You guys okay?” Dean asked as Bobby and Sam ran over to him. Both looked fine, but he had to check.  
  
“Yeah,” Sam huffed, a little out of breath from the fight. “I guess.”  
  
“Well, I gotta say,” Dean finally allowed himself to appreciate everything the Trickster had done over the past few weeks. “He had style.” And Dean just knew that Sam was giving him the patented Bitch-face as he led the others out of the hall, he just didn’t care.  
  
He wasn’t really paying attention as Sam and Bobby spoke on the way to the Impala. Something felt off about what had happened, like he was missing something. And he couldn’t shake the feeling that, just before it died, the Trickster had winked at him.  
   
 **-Twenty Eight - Learn to Fly-**  
  
Sammy was staring out of the window as they drove out of town, and didn’t see him. Dean did, though. Sitting on top of the sign pointing to the Mystery Spot was the Trickster, laughing away. It locked eyes with Dean for a brief moment, blew him a kiss, then snapped its fingers and disappeared.  
  
Dean swallowed hard, then focussed on the road. He had a feeling that they were going to see the Trickster again sooner or later. Now to figure out whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.  
   
 **-Thirty - Holy Water-**  
  
Dean turned his back on the Trickster – Gabriel – and tried not to feel so betrayed. He didn’t know why his heart ached at the thought of leaving Gabriel behind, and just wanted to go drown his sorrows.  
  
When they were all outside, however, they heard a high-pitched screech, and the windows of the building were suddenly blown out. Sam and Dean dropped to the ground, hands over their ears in an attempt to block out the god-awful sound.  
Managing to look up, Dean saw Castiel staring back at the building, shock and awe vying for position as most prominent emotion.  
  
Finally the noise stopped. Before Dean could question him, however, Castiel turned to the brothers and helped them up.  
  
“We need to leave. Now.”  
  
They didn’t question him, just got in the car and drove away.  
   
 **-Thirty - Worry About You-**  
  
Dean stared at the picture on the screen. There was a perfect replica of him, lying on a bed, with Gabriel straddling his hips. Thankfully, Gabriel was clothed and covering up Dean’s…  
  
Wait, no, Gabriel moved and destroyed what remained of Dean’s dignity. Probably also made Sam want to gouge out his own eyes, so there was an upside to the whole situation.  
  
They waited until Gabriel finished explaining about the rings and the cage, and Dean felt a fresh stab of loss. He was already missing the archangel, wishing he’d had more time to try and figure out where that whole kissing thing could lead.  
  
“Oh, and Dean?” The brothers paused and looked back at the screen, to see Gabriel still looking serious. “I release the hold. You’re free to remember everything. I love you.” With that, Gabriel turned and started making out with the on-screen Dean.  
  
The real Dean, however, didn’t notice. He was too busy holding onto the side of the Impala, trying not to throw up. He remembered everything, from the attempted molestation when he was sixteen, to the drunken sex, to the several stolen kisses in the intervening years. He wanted to scream in frustration – he’d been so close to having someone constant, someone who wouldn’t leave him because of his lifestyle or his reluctance to communicate verbally, and he’d lost him because he wasn’t willing to accept that he was falling for a male who wasn’t human.  
  
Lucifer had taken the chance to fix things between Dean and Gabriel away from him, and he was going to do something permanent about that.


	5. Chapter 5

_When they decide to commit to a person or family, Tricksters are loyal to a fault. They make voracious and inventive lovers, and tend to put their partner first in their lives. Once they have claimed their partner, their homicidal tendencies tend to calm and they try not to draw attention to themselves, as they are aware that hunters could easily harm their loved ones._  
  
 **-Thirty Two - Throw Your Arms Around Me-**  
  
“Please, Cas,” Dean begged his friend. “It’s all I ask. Just bring him back. I know you can, you’re stronger now than you were when you brought me back.”  
  
“Gabriel turned his back on Heaven,” Castiel informed him, though he didn’t seem all that put off at the idea.  
  
“He came through when it mattered. He watched out for me most of my life, tried to help. Hell, he stood up to Lucifer in the end, even though it got him killed! Please Cas, he’s… he’s all I want. I’ll follow you, worship you, whatever. Just give him back to me.”  
  
Castiel tilted his head to one side, as though weighing Dean’s statement. Then he smiled a little, and Dean’s heart lifted.  
  
“You won’t worship me. You’ve always worshipped him. But you are right – Gabriel died to save you. And if bringing him back will help you to see me as a better God, then I will do it for you.”  
  
“Thank you, Cas.”  
  
He went to turn away, but was stopped when Castiel put a hand on his arm.  
  
“Dean, do you remember when you first realised he was Gabriel? The noise that then destroyed the building?”  
  
“Yeah,” Dean shuddered. “Not gonna forget that in a hurry.”  
  
“That was Gabriel’s true voice,” Castiel confirmed. “That was an archangel’s mating call. He claimed you as his that day. If you break his heart…”  
  
Dean swallowed hard and nodded. He got the implication, loud and clear. It was the same speech he always bit back when Sam got involved with a girl – you hurt my brother, I hurt you.  
  
The next day, Dean awoke to find himself wrapped around another person. He opened his eyes, hardly daring to believe it, and was met with the sight of the man he’d loved for years – Ricky, Steve, Trickster, Loki, Gabriel.  
  
“Note to self,” the archangel muttered, moving closer into Dean’s embrace, “dying sucks. Don’t do it again.”  
  
“Gabriel,” Dean breathed, causing the shorter man to look up at him and smile slightly.  
  
“Yeah, I’m back. Little bro’s the man in charge now… he explained it to me. Said he offered you any reward to continue being God’s Warrior, and you asked for me.”  
  
Dean lowered his head and caught Gabriel’s mouth, pressing forwards to lay his claim on the being in his arms. Gabriel didn’t seem to mind in the slightest, allowing Dean to roll on top of him.  
  
“I’m ready,” Dean said as he pulled back just far enough to speak. “I’ve been ready for years. You’re all I want.”  
  
“I know, Deano,” Gabriel ran a hand up and down Dean’s spine. “Stupid free will clause though – I had to wait for you to come to me. Had to wait until you knew exactly what you were getting involved with.”  
  
“Enough talking,” Dean decided. “More touching.”  
  
With that, he returned to kissing Gabriel, holding himself up with one arm while the other explored the flesh beneath him. He felt Gabriel responding, touching him as well, and his heart rejoiced in knowing that he was finally getting what he wanted from the male who’d followed him for so long. He could remember everything now, every time Gabriel had tested him and backed off and how much he’d missed the archangel, trickster, whatever he was pretending to be at the moment.  
  
There would be no backing off this time.  
  
Dean was caught unaware when Gabriel suddenly flipped them, landing on his back with a huff.  
  
“What…”  
  
“I’ve been waiting half your life for this,” Gabriel looked at him with serious eyes. “I’m going to fuck you now. You can have a turn later, just… I need to claim you.”  
  
“So Cas wasn’t exaggerating with the whole mating-call thing,” Dean mused. Gabriel’s eyes turned dark and he growled – seriously growled, like he was some kind of animal.  
  
“Don’t mention him,” Gabriel warned, “or anyone else. Not now.”  
  
Dean blinked in confusion, then understood as Gabriel bent to place bite-marks across his neck. Gabriel was marking his territory, and mentioning someone else could be seen as a threat. It seemed that Gabriel had quite a few animalistic tendencies.  
  
So Dean leaned back and spread his legs, wrapping his arms around the smaller frame above him. After waiting so long for someone to call his own, then having Gabriel taken away from him, Dean was willing to indulge the archangel in anything he wanted.  
  
“Thank you,” Gabriel whispered into Dean’s hair, then claimed his lips again. Dean opened up to him easily, wanting this just as much.  
  
He flinched a little when he felt Gabriel’s fingers rubbing along his arse, but forced himself to relax. It helped when he kept repeating ‘this is what you want, this is what you want’ to himself. Gabriel seemed to be picking up on his desire to get on to the good part, and pushed a slicked finger into him.  
  
Although he wasn’t being particularly gentle or slow, Dean found that he was quickly shifting his hips to get more. It was as though Gabriel had plucked the perfect pace out of his mind… which, knowing Gabriel, he probably had. Was it abuse of telepathic powers to use them to fulfil a partner’s sexual fantasies?  
  
“Stop that,” Gabriel was chuckling above him, and Dean grinned when he realised that Gabriel had indeed been reading his mind.  
  
“Hey, if you don’t want to see what goes on in my head, don’t look.” Seemed simple enough to him.  
  
“Fair enough,” Gabriel nodded, and promptly shoved a second finger into Dean.  
  
Dean arched his back at the intrusion, but Gabriel didn’t falter in his pace. He started to scissor his fingers, stretching Dean so that he would be comfortable – well, as comfortable as one could be with a cock up their arse. It was bound to be a little disconcerting at first.  
  
“Do you have a single serious thought in your head?” Gabriel started to laugh, hand shaking a little inside Dean. Dean, meanwhile, ran a hand up Gabriel’s back and cradled the back of his neck.  
  
“Sometimes,” he admitted. “But it’s easier to go with humour. Makes life a little easier to deal with.”  
  
“True. And your life can get pretty shitty,” Gabriel agreed. “I’ll make it better though. You like chocolate, right?”  
  
“Uh, yeah, I guess,” Dean was nonplussed, though he forgot the question temporarily when a third finger was inserted into him.  
  
“Good. Chocolate can cure anything.”  
  
“Maybe, but I prefer pie,” Dean managed to inform the archangel. It was getting difficult to concentrate on the conversation.  
  
“Pie’s good,” Gabriel mused. “Chocolate pie! Best of both worlds. I’ll get you some chocolate pie when we’re done here.” He paused and looked a little disheartened for a moment. “You’re gonna have to help me get my pagan powers back.”  
  
“I am?”  
  
“Yeah. Then I’ll be able to snap pie into existence whenever you want it.”  
  
“Fair enough then,” Dean muttered as he wrapped a leg around Gabriel’s waist. “Before that, though, are you ever gonna fuck me?”  
  
“Hm. I guess you’re about ready for it,” Gabriel agreed and removed his fingers. There was some shuffling, and Dean was on his hands and knees again, this time with Gabriel crouched behind him. He’d caught sight of Gabriel running a hand up and down his own cock, leaving it glistening with some presumably lube-like substance.  
  
Then Gabriel was entering him again, this time with the aforementioned dick, and Dean felt his thought processes shutting down. After all the pain and uncertainty of recent years, he was exactly where he wanted to be, and could afford to let his guard down. Could afford to let someone else take control.  
  
So he did. He submitted to Gabriel here, where there was no one to judge him for it.  
  
Dean felt it, when Gabriel realised he was submitting. The archangel started moving more firmly, thrusting deep into him, hands  
gripping Dean’s hips hard enough to leave bruises. Dean did his best to shove back, but the hands were holding him still, leaving him only able to stay still and take whatever Gabriel decided to give him.  
  
He could still talk, though.  
  
“That’s it, Gabe,” Dean ground out. “You’ve got me, claim me so no one else will touch me. Make me yours, never want anyone else,”  
  
“Fuck, Dean,” Gabriel growled out before leaning forwards, plastering his chest to Dean’s back and just moving his hips, much like a dog. Again with the animal comparisons… “Mine!”  
  
“Yours, only yours,” Dean agreed happily as the new angle had Gabriel rubbing against his prostate quite effectively. More pleasure was added when Gabriel remembered to sneak a hand around to stroke Dean’s cock, slower than the frantic pace his own dick was setting. It was still perfect, however, and Dean groaned in satisfaction. “That’s it, that’s fucking perfect. My angel, my trickster, mine!”  
  
“You fucking know it,” Gabriel was growling again, and trailed kisses along the curve of Dean’s spine – gentle in counterpoint to his other actions, and the disparity was enough to make Dean throw his head back and shout his climax.  
  
“Gabriel! Fuck, yes, Gabe, yes…”  
  
He was vaguely aware of a bright light and a screaming sound as Gabriel ceased all movement, and as soon as Gabriel loosened his grip they both collapsed onto the mattress.  
  
Gabriel licked Dean’s neck briefly, then withdrew from him and nudged him until he rolled over.  
  
The archangel then shifted to lie as close to Dean as possible, forcibly arranging the human around him so that they were curled together, one of Dean’s arms around Gabriel. Gabriel was effectively using him as a blanket, though Dean didn’t really mind. He was fairly sure that there should be a mess of some sort on the bed, and possibly on himself, but Gabriel had probably abused his powers again to clean them up. Not that Dean really minded.  
  
“Dude, we’re not cuddling, are we?” He felt he had to make some sort of token resistance to the schmoopiness.  
  
“Yes. Deal with it,” Gabriel muttered. Though Dean was fairly sure that angels didn’t have to sleep, Gabriel had never really followed the rules of any other creature.  
  
“…Fine,” Dean grumbled. “Just don’t tell Sammy.”  
  
“What makes you think I didn’t film that and send him a copy?”  
  
“You wouldn’t!” Dean’s eyes flew open, and he glared at the angel in his arms.  
  
“True,” Gabriel nodded, unfazed by Dean’s outburst. “I’m pretty jealous. No one touches what’s mine. And I won’t touch anyone else. Deal?”  
  
“Can we not use that word?” Dean pulled a face.  
  
“How about agreed?”  
  
“Better.” Dean shifted to pull Gabriel into a lazy kiss, mostly to shut him up. It didn’t work all that well, as Gabriel just piped up again when Dean removed his mouth.  
  
“So, road trip?”  
  
“Why?” Dean looked down at the angel, exasperation showing. “And where?”  
  
“Valhalla, of course,” Gabriel rolled his eyes, as though Dean was being purposely dense. “To fetch a few artefacts that will help get my full powers back. It was annoying, having to leave them behind in different places over the last few years.”  
  
“That’s why you weren’t as powerful,” it finally clicked for Dean. “You were losing abilities from when I first met you.”  
  
“Yeah,” Gabriel pulled him back down for more cuddling. “Had to keep moving though, and kept dropping the various items that made me stronger. We’ll have to go fetch them so I can go back to being super-powered Archangel Trickster God.”  
  
“Okay,” Dean gave in, and pressed a kiss to the chest under his head. “Whatever you want.”  
  
As they drifted off to sleep, both angel and hunter were smiling, genuine smiles of contentment.  
  
Castiel nodded at them from where he’d been standing, and flew away. Everything would be okay on that front.  
  
Now to secure Sam’s loyalty.  
  
 **~Fin~**


End file.
